Ice cream containers are provided in a plurality of shapes and sizes. Some ice cream containers are square or brick shaped and some are round. To provide customers with a choice, ice cream containers are provided in several different sizes. Moreover, some ice cream containers are filled from an end while other containers are filled from the top.
The considerable difference in sizes, shapes, and fill openings of the containers heretofore necessitated customizing an ice cream filling machine to match the particular ice cream container being filled. As will be appreciated, such ice cream filling machines were expensive and limited in their performance to the particular container being filled.
Heretofore known ice cream filling machines normally have a single fill head from which ice cream continually flows. During an ice cream filling operation, ice cream containers are moved in successive order beneath the fill head. Because of board caliper and inadequate side supports for the container, however, the amount or volume of ice cream filled in each container varies depending upon the extent of container expansion. As a result, some containers may be overfilled while other containers may be underfilled. Moreover, round containers can be especially difficult to accurately and efficiently fill with ice cream.
In conventional ice cream filling machines, the containers are moved beneath the fill head in a jerking motion. This jerking motion is used to slice or cut-off the ice cream flow into the filled container while quickly arranging an empty ice cream container beneath the fill head. As will be appreciated, regardless of the rapidity with which the containers are moved relative to the fill head, the continuous flow of ice cream from the fill head will cause some ice cream to flow between and about successive containers.
The ice cream not flowing into the containers is wasted thus reducing productivity. Moreover, the ice cream flowing between successive containers is not conducive to a clean environment normally associated with the food industry.